An announcement came at dawn.
Lord Pemberton stood in the great hall; a scroll unfurled in his trembling hands. Behind him, forty-three nobles had gathered: conservatives who had once followed Vesper, now united under a new banner.
"I hereby found the Pure Blood League," Pemberton declared. His voice cracked, but his eyes were steady. "Dedicated to preserving wolf hierarchy and opposing human transformation. We do not seek violence. We seek to protect what is sacred."
Seren watched from the gallery.
Beside her, Lysa whispered, "Pemberton? He was loyal. He voted for the charter."
"He was loyal to the crown. Not to the institute." Seren's voice was flat. "The institute scares him. It scares a lot of wolves."
